October 10, 2012

the BEST pizza

I'm going to brag here for a second. I make incredible pizza people! And here's the best part: it's CRAZY easy. Here's how you do it. The dough recipe is from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Dayand it's fantastic (the authors are kind of bread geniuses - get their really great book here).

1 1/2 Tablespoons dry-active yeast1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt3 cups warm water6 1/2 cups all-purpose flourIn a large (about 8 quarts - I use this one) bucket or bowl (preferably with a lid, but not airtight) put the yeast, salt, water and then flour (in that order) and stir with a large spoon just until the flour is incorporated and there are no dry lumps of flour (only takes about 15 seconds, seriously). It will be very sticky. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR! Put the lid on loosely (or cover with plastic wrap). Let it sit on the counter for 2 hours. You can then either use it right away or refrigerate up to 2 weeks (it takes on sour dough properties after a day). If you use the dough after refrigerating, let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes before using it (you can do this while your oven preheats).Heat your oven to 500 (or as hot as your oven goes) degrees with a baking stone for at least 20 minutes. Cut off a chunk (about 1/4 of the dough, but I like thinner crust so I usually get 5 pizzas out of this recipe) and gently dip it in flour. Do not incorporate the flour. Roll it into a large circle, as thin as you can get it. Remove hot pizza stone from oven and cover generously with whole wheat flour. Carefully lay dough on the hot stone and add sauce (see recipe below), cheese and toppings. Bake about 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned. Remove from oven to a wire cooling rack for about 5 minutes and then slice.Pizza Sauce:1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste6 ounces hot water3 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese1 teaspoon minced garlic2 Tablespoons honey (I use a bit less)3/4 teaspoon onion powder1/4 teaspoon dried oregano1/4 teaspoon dried basil1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram1/4 teaspoon black pepper1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakespinch of kosher saltMix all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth (don't blend). Let sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors before spreading on pizza dough. Makes enough for 2 large pizzas.

I wouldn't cut the recipe in half. The dough is a "master" recipe that you can keep in your fridge up to two weeks. After a few days, it starts to take on sourdough properties and I actually prefer it that way. You can also make an artisan loaf (or even breadsticks) out of the dough if you don't want to use the rest to make pizza.

could i cut this recipe in half? this looks great! also - have you ever tried freezing the dough? i just found your blog tonight and you have a ton of things that i would like to make! how do i "pin" your recipes? i'm not seeing a "pin it" link. Thanks!

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